ABC’s decision to take “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” off its schedule “indefinitely” sparked a cascade of furious responses from prominent entertainers, showrunners and unions on Thursday, as figures across Hollywood condemned the move as censorship and warned that de-platforming a late-night host over political commentary would chill creative expression across broadcast television. The network’s action followed a revolt by major station groups and pointed public pressure from Federal Communications Commission chair Brendan Carr after Kimmel’s monologues about the Sept. 10 killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk in Utah.
Actors and comedians were among the first to denounce the suspension. “This isn’t right,” Ben Stiller wrote on X, sharing reporting that ABC would pre-empt the program without a return date. Wanda Sykes, who said she had been scheduled to appear on the show the night it was pulled, posted an Instagram video lamenting that the administration “did end freedom of speech within his first year,” closing with, “Love you, Jimmy.” Comedian Mike Birbiglia urged peers to speak up, writing, “If you’re a comedian + don’t call out the insanity of pulling Kimmel off the air—don’t bother spouting off about free speech anymore.” Actress Sophia Bush posted, “Fascism is here and it’s chilling.” Veteran performer Henry Winkler told Kimmel directly that “his humor, his insights are important.” Actress Jean Smart said she was “horrified,” adding, “What Jimmy said was FREE speech, not hate speech.” Journalist-host Don Lemon called the move “a chill down everyone’s spine,” while Jon Cryer quipped that he was “very much looking forward to Elon Musk’s spirited defense of Jimmy Kimmel’s free speech.”
Outside entertainment, media and political figures added their own rebukes. MSNBC anchor Chris Hayes called the suspension “the most straightforward attack on free speech from state actors I’ve ever seen in my life and it’s not even close.” California Governor Gavin Newsom accused Republicans of coordinated censorship, writing, “They are censoring you in real time.” Former pro-wrestler Kevin Nash told ABC the network’s programming “will not be viewed in my home,” while streamer Hasan Piker argued corporations were “folding to the admin.” The reactions reflected a rare alliance of liberal elected officials, mainstream entertainers and online creators framing a broadcast scheduling decision as an issue of First Amendment principle, even as ABC described the step as a pre-emption rather than a cancellation.
The uproar followed a day of escalating pressure within the broadcast chain. Nexstar Media Group—one of the largest owners of ABC affiliates—announced it would no longer air Kimmel’s show, calling his remarks “offensive and insensitive at a critical time in our national political discourse.” Sinclair Broadcast Group quickly said it would also pre-empt the program and instead run a tribute to Kirk in the time slot, adding that it wanted a public apology and “a meaningful personal donation to the Kirk family and Turning Point USA.” Hours later, ABC confirmed it would “pre-empt [the show] indefinitely.” The network did not spell out conditions for a return, but its move effectively mooted a patchwork of affiliate blackouts that threatened to fracture the program’s distribution.